Happy Labor Day!  Hope you are all enjoying the holiday weekend.  It is an honor to introduce you to my fabulous editor, Natalie Hanemann.  She takes my stories and helps me mold them into books that we pray will entertain you and bring you one step closer to God. 

I am a blessed woman to have Natalie in my life--as my editor and my friend.  She is an amazing person.  Here is a little bit about her, followed by our interview:

BETH:  Welcome to Amish Hearts, Natalie!  I know that readers and writers are going to love hearing from you.   As an editor at Thomas Nelson, what is the most rewarding part of your job?

NATALIE:  Most rewarding is reading letters from readers that say the book drew them closer to God. That’s the ultimate. It’s also great to see a book hit the best-seller list.

BETH: For the writers reading this, what is the most common mistake you see in submissions that come across your desk?

NATALIE:  It’s frustrating when a proposal comes in with just the author bio and three sample chapters. Usually I’ll kick those back to the agent. We get so many proposals, it’s helpful when the proposal includes all the info we need: the author’s publishing history, including sales #s, a complete synopsis, including what the spiritual content is, and some information about the author’s involvement in social media.

BETH:  Great info for any agents reading this!  Do you have a favorite genre?

NATALIE:  My personal favorite – the books I read at home – are usually historicals. On my bookshelf right now are Fannie Flaggs latest, I Still Dream About You, The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, and Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly.

BETH:  What is the one book you think everyone should read?

NATALIE:  East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It’s my favorite novel. I love the time period, the setting, and the biblical allegory. 

BETH:  If you were not an editor, what would your dream job be?

NATALIE:  My dream job would be a master gardener (I’d need lots of training!), somewhere where it was never over 80 degrees and where bugs didn’t exist.

BETH:  Please let us know when you find that special place!  What genres are trending right now, and which of those do you think are here for the long haul?

NATALIE: We’ve seen an uptick in contemporary romances. Also in supernatural stories. For the long haul, it’s more about the author and not the genre. The brightest stars within each genre will remain popular because they’ve proven their skill beyond just the genre they’re writing. 

BETH:  What is your favorite Bible quote?

NATALIE:  Matthew 11:28  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

BETH:  Why do you think readers are drawn to Amish fiction?  When did you first realize that this was an avenue worth pursuing? 

NATALIE:  When I started working for the fiction group, I’d already read some Amish fiction and loved it. We weren’t doing any yet so it became my goal to find an irresistible Amish story. Shortly thereafter, your agent sent us the proposal for Plain Perfect.

BETH:  J  If you could spend a weekend with an Amish family, what are two questions you would ask?

NATALIE: Could you teach me how to can fruits and vegetables? And how to make jam?

BETH:  I think our fearless leader--Allen Arnold--should send us to stay with some of my Amish friends for a weekend to master canning...ha ha.  (Think he'll see this...lol?)  And finally, what book do you want to publish that you have yet to run across, if there is one?

NATALIE:  I’d love to see a Biblical novel that takes a fresh approach. A story that will send us back to our bibles to read the “real” story.

BETH:  I hope you find that story!  Thanks so much for joining us today!  

Peace to all of you for a great week!